Cord Cutting: Prototype

My proof of concept system turned out great.  I demonstrated to myself, at least, that I could bring in more channels than I could possibly want with an inexpensive antenna literally laid on a bed connected to a TV in an upstairs bedroom.  My signal from ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS, UPN & others was crystal clear in this configuration.

Still, there are some potentially interesting hurdles to overcome to actually have an OTA system that would make me comfortable with becoming a cord cutter.  Chief amount them:

1. Does the existing house cable complex work? 
2. Is TiVo viable for my hypothetical setup?
3. Do I need a Skinny Cable Subscription?
4. What are the actual economics?
5. When can I cut the cord?

I have opted to address the first two questions by building a prototype system that can exercise the key elements of those issues.

Cord Cutting: Verizon - Tegna Spat

This past December 31st, sometime in the late afternoon the CBS signal carried by Verizon FIOS replaced the CBS feed with a looping "commercial" giving Verizon's side of a corporate dispute between themselves and Tegna a corporation that owns at least three stations:

• WUSA (9), the CBS station in Washington DC,
• WVEC (13), the ABC station in Norfolk, and
• WGRZ (2), the NBC station in Buffalo.

Access fees appear to have been at the heart of the conflict.  Tegna wanted more money from Verizon to allow the carrier to distribute their signal to Verizon customers than Verizon was willing to pay. 

The result of this corporate battle is the blocking of the network feed that carries popular shows such as the Big Bang Theory, NCIS and NFL Football just as playoff season began.

Investing in Mutual Funds: 101

A friend recently asked me my thoughts on mutual fund investing, seeking advice on how to build a portfolio.  Rather than just give him some notes, I choose to right a post so that anyone can see my approach.  It's certainly not perfect.  I strive for simple and easy to manage.  I do not chase the latest fad.  I talk only about mutual funds, the same thing can be accomplished with ETF's purchased through a broker, direct mutual funds save a middle man, they are easier, if you don't have a broker.  

Happy Birthday, Littlest One!

Birthday cards have sure changed.  When I was growing up, my parents would give me a card, without failure, every year on my birthday.  I rarely really wanted a hallmark card, they all said the same thing, a good message, but the same.  A few of them survived my youth to make it into a keepsake box that I will always treasure, mostly because my mom and sometimes my dad picked them out signed them and gave them to me. Today, cards are becoming a thing of the past, often replaced with a quick post on Facebook or other even more passing wish.

My Mother

I started this piece very shortly after Mom passed away.  It was hard too write and even harder to revisit to actually finish it up.  I can't say I have reread the whole piece, but I think it's ok, and I want to share it with some people who have been important to me and my mother.  I have also posted a brief slide show, which you are welcome to view on BarrettPhoto.us.  Following is what I wrote late last year...

Barbara Ann Barrett — Born April 13, 1933, quietly passed away in her sleep from cancer on August 19, 2016, at about 7:05am.  That is how I began her obituary posted on Adams-Green website. Quietly passed away in her sleep sounds like an euphemism, a wishful memory of what might have been, but in my mother’s case, it is remarkably accurate, though brief description of the event. I want to expand on that, provide a few more details from my memory for my memory, so that I can clearly, accurately, recall the related events that preceded it.

Mom’s battle with rectal cancer began in the fall of 2013 at the same time I had a life threatening health crisis. My intrepid wife had us both in the hospital, different hospitals, shuttling between to oversee our care.  Mom’s doctors, unsurprisingly suggested a witches brew of chemo, radiology and surgical treatments, steps that might stop the disease but with a high cost in side effects and life altering changes. 

J&S Travel Memory Books

A few years back I discovered photo books as a way to make my images from travels a powerful tool for bolstering my memory and enjoyment of vacations and other trips.  Before that, I had taken pictures, often printed some of them, looked at them and put them in a box or drawer.  When I looked at them years later I really couldn't appreciate what I was looking at.  The images just didn't work as a way to really remember the event.  Putting those images into book format forced me to really think about what I saw, adding some organization and narration, allows my to save the memories much more accurately and gives me something that I can look at long after the fact and once again enjoy the experience. These books, for many people have become the ultimate souvenir.

Creating a Flickr Account

I use Flickr to display my favorite pictures and occasionally in support of group projects.  Those group projects sometimes require new accounts to be setup by people who may be a bit confused by the process.  This post is intended as a walk though of the account creation process that may help them out.

What the Heck Royal Caribbean?

I've been on several Royal Caribbean cruises.  Generally been very happy with them, thrilled even, a few bumps, but I'm happy to book another cruise.

I do have a bone to pick with their web site and technical support.  It seems my Crown and Anchor Society account is in a permanent state of broken.  I've tried email support, I've tried calling them, they seem either uninterested in the problem or incapable of helping.

Mixbook Opportunities for Improvement

I've created three nearly 100 page books with Mixbooks at this point and I'm willing to use it again, so it has some definite upsides, but it also has some "opportunities for improvement," things that just drive me nuts or feel a need to fix a book and reprint it.  These things really should be fixed.

I'll go into my major beefs with Mixbooks below.

South Dakota / Wyoming Travels

Black Hills, Yellowstone & Tetons

Linda and I recently traveled with a group of Grove City alumni on an Orbridge tour of National Parks and Lodges of the Old West. I had intended to write daily, or almost daily blog entries but that plan ran afoul of three problems:

1. Blogger is crippled on an iPad, it needs keys that don't exist on a touch interface,
2. Internet access is spotty at best in South Dakota and Wyoming,
3. The trip was packed with activities allowing little time to write or reflect.

Once home I began work on a photo book which I've now finished.  A somewhat useable embedded version follows:

| Design your own photo book with Mixbook's easy online editor.

2014: A Moving Year

I just finished my first year family year book.  We're anxiously waiting arrival of the hardcopy. I can share a soft copy here though.

| Design your own Photo Book with Mixbook's easy online editor.

John Oliver v Big Pharma

John Oliver on a recent episode of Last Week Tonight, did another really good piece, this time on Big Pharma and their practice of sending young, pretty, people to buy influence with our doctors.

A key element of it was advertising the existence of another government web site listing lots of doctors: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.  This one provides a glimpse into payments made by pharmacutical companies to doctors for lunches, entertainment, education, or just plain old brides, oops I meant honorariums and travel.

Mom's Moving Day

There is something bittersweet in moving my Mom out of her house that she shared with my Dad for his final years. A house she had lived in, alone, for near on a decade. It's not my childhood home, far from it, but it was my parent's home.

Taking things apart, backing out screws, that I knew my Father had assembled years ago, I could almost feel my Dad with me. I could hear his voice echoing in my head as he explained where they should be placed, which were important and which we're not. So many things that he taught me over the years, that are just part of me, came back to me.

An Adult Decision

My daughter has loved horses since a very early age and has been fortunate to have had a horse since she was in elementary school.  She’s actually had three horses, Hope, Paddy and Aiden.  The first two were technically her mother’s critters, but Shannon was always the priority rider.

When it came time for her to move up from her pony, Hope, we started shopping for a larger horse that would be able to carry her into competitions and had Paddy in the barn before Hope left.  When Paddy reached his limits at the preliminary level of equestrian eventing and age was limiting him, we went looking for a new horse again.

Aiden, an off the track thoroughbred, looked to be Shannon’s ideal horse.  He was very green, having just left his career of racing but was large, athletic, with good ground manners, and a willingness to learn.  He looked like exactly the horse Shannon could train and take forward into competitions as her horse.

My Daughter the Swordswoman

Shannon went swording this past weekend at another renaissance festival. She's performed at other ren-fests previously, but always mounted, showing off her equine skills and knowledge.  This time she went as a participant with the sword circle, a group led by teacher Alex Foster, of young people who are learning and demonstrating historical sword techniques from the late middle ages and renaissance periods.

What Is That Car?

Today is my birthday, it's something that happens every year. At this point I'm pretty used to them. This one will be way better than last year's though.  Which I spent in the hospital uncertain if I would every have another birthday.  All in all, the day has prospects of being a very good day.

Since it is my birthday, I treated myself to a (to me) yummy breakfast from McDonald's (with way to many calories).  That's a tasty treat, but better yet was a question I heard on the drive home....

Home Owner Warrenty Follies

One of the perks added to the house that we recently purchased in Leesburg was a home buyer's warranty from 2-10.  This type of warranty protection is often added by the seller to entice buyers, hopefully engendering confidence and a higher transaction price.

In our case, we asked for a warranty to be added to the deal as the price was being negotiated.  It seemed like a good idea costing us essentially nothing and offering a promise to fix major components of the house that could go belly up shortly after we moved in.

1983: Graduation -- Where Are The Jobs?

This is the second of my career posts, it focuses on my attempt to start my working career with a Bachelor of Science degree, double majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy (I think they were having a two-fer on the word "and").

Setting the Stage

The job market back in 1983 was rough across the country, even worse in Western Pennsylvania with the coal and steel industries in collapse and layoffs everywhere.  I wanted to work near where I grew up, I liked the area, the people, and I wasn't a huge fan of change.

Fortunately, I thought, I had chosen a top-notch school, Carnegie-Mellon University, an in demand major, engineering. I had grades to be proud of, graduating with University Honors (meaning my GPA qualified me to complete an undergraduate research project with a mini and I mean mini thesis), and I had plenty of resume stuffers in the form of President of Fraternity, Buggy designer, sports (intramural though they were).  I even had some work experience.  I thought I had ticked all the boxes and my search should be productive.

1996: Taking America Off Line

This is the first, of what I expect will be many trips in the way back machine to some of my significant career experiences, things I did that worked out and likely some that didn't.  I'll try to address both what happened and what I was able to learn as a result.

This is based on my recollection of events.  I have almost certainly, unintentionally, edited events in my memory, I'm trying to be accurate, but memories can be shifty at time.  Ultimately, its my blog and my story, so I'll apologize ahead of time for any errors, but I'm not going to worry about it (much).

2014: July Health Crisis

This past Friday (7/25) my coughing jags and mild fever got to annoying for my very patient wife, she told me I needed to go the doctor.  While it didn't seem too serious to me, I certainly didn't feel well and if Linda wants someone to go the doctor, they certainly should.

First Doctor Visit, 7/25

Dr. Harding had picked this Friday to get an early start on his vacation, so I got a same day appointment with another doctor in the Town Center Family Medicine practice. As I ran down my symptoms, fatigue, no endurance, persistent headache (the kind where it seems someone is driving a nail ever deeper), fever (100-101.5°F), general aches, and joint pain in my hip, I realized I was describing the flu minus nausea, which according to WebMD is a good summary of the symptoms of walking pneumonia.